War Of Words In Utah

Karl Malone and Jazz owner Greg Miller mix it up in the press.

Whatever happened to our Hall of Fame athletes retiring and riding off into the sunset as elder statesmen of their sport? These days we’ve got a new type of retired athlete. We’ve got Michael Jordan giving one of the bitterest Hall of Fame acceptance speeches ever, Shaq and his ugly divorce that led to the VH1 show “Basketball Wives,” and now Karl Malone duking it out with Utah Jazz Greg Miller over having to buy tickets to a Jazz game through a scalper.

This whole thing started with Malone the 14-time All-Star and two-time NBA MVP telling a newspaper that he had to purchase tickets to a Jazz game through a local scalper because he couldn’t get them any other way. Miller responded like any respectable honorable CEOs would by tweeting (Yes, he has his own Twitter) “Hey Karl – you’re lying. You have my number. Next time you need a seat to a Jazz game, call me. You can have mine.” If the line was busy you could always tweet him too Karl. Just a thought.

Malone then went on to slam Miller’s running of the blub by saying, “The defining moment when (management and ownership) should have stood up for Jerry Sloan, they chose Deron Williams. And Coach Sloan, being the coach I know and love, said, ‘You know what? We should part ways.’” Basically, Malone’s saying Miller sucks as an owner. It should be noted that Sloan denies Malone’s version of his leaving Utah and contends Miller always supported him and let him coach as he saw fit.

Perhaps, the heart of this issue is Malone not being considered for an assistant coaching position with the Jazz. Miller reported said he was too unstable. Maybe that’s what really started all this bad blood. It’s sad to see an organization and a player known for class slinging mud like a couple of kids, but that’s what it has become. Miller’s final partying words were, “The fact is Karl is still as high-maintenance as ever, but now he has nothing to offer to offset the grief and aggravation that comes with him.” I’m thinking Miller just got himself off Malone’s Christmas card list and about those tickets Miller offered Karl … I wouldn’t hold my breadth.